Happy Drum 7 Chakra - 18cm

• Seven tongues are cut into the top of the drum, each with its own chakra symbol, so you always know where you are.
• The symbols are coloured to follow the traditional chakra sequence: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
• The white surface has a fine, pebbled texture that catches the light and keeps the colours looking clean and bright.
• Two wooden mallets with black rubber heads come with it, so it is ready to play as soon as it is unpacked.

This is a tongue drum rather than a handpan. Handpans are convex and played with the hands; a tongue drum has a flat top with tongues cut into it, and each tongue is tuned to its own note. The "Happy Drum" name fits the way it works. It is made of iron, and the mallet heads are soft enough to bring out a rounded tone instead of a sharp one. We have not been given the tuning or scale, so we will not name one.

In yogic and tantric tradition, the seven chakras are described as centres running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, each linked with a colour and a symbol. Here those symbols are printed on the tongues, so the drum doubles as a visual map for anyone who works with them. Many people use such a layout as a focus for meditation, moving from one colour to the next with each note.

Hold the drum steady in your lap or rest it on a cushion, then strike a tongue with a mallet and let the note ring before the next. A slow, even rhythm works best. Starting at the red symbol and working through the colours gives you a simple pattern to follow, and you can improvise from there.

It suits a meditation corner, a yoga space, a quiet desk, or a shelf where the colours show. It is small enough to keep within reach for a few minutes of playing between tasks, and its simple layout makes it easy to share with a friend or child.

The drum is 18 cm and made of metal (iron), with seven tongues, each marked with a chakra symbol. It comes with two wooden mallets with rubber heads.